Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025
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Chapter 35: Posters? Trailers?
After a bit more discussion with Baniel, Edward quickly confirmed his suspicion—this guy had absolutely no clue how marketing worked. No flyers, no posters, not even basic promotional efforts. The only thing the theater relied on was "word of mouth," hoping that people who saw the film would tell others about it.
And while this world had relatively advanced papermaking, there was zero development in print media. No newspapers, no magazines—nothing that could serve as a channel for running proper ads.
Why? Because most cities in this world were essentially self-contained. There was very little flow of people or information in and out. Word traveled fast enough within each place, so nobody ever felt the need for mass marketing. As a result, monopolies like the Nosrick Grand Theater had grown up without needing to fight for audience attention—so of course they never invested in marketing.
At first, Edward found the whole situation pretty frustrating.
But then, it hit him.
This was an untapped market. A total blank slate.
If nobody had done this sort of thing before, then he could be the first.
Even if others caught on and copied him later, it wouldn't matter—he'd already have claimed the lion's share of the market. He'd be the pioneer. The one who set the standard.
And so, after thinking things through, Edward decided to give Baniel a crash course in advertising.
"Flyers. Posters. Maybe even printing your logo on small handouts or snacks that you give out after the screening."
Baniel's eyes widened like someone seeing daylight for the first time. It was like Edward had just pulled open the gates to a brand-new world.
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!" Baniel practically shouted. "Baron Durin, your vision is decades ahead of our time! Now I understand how you came up with Magic Video Recorder and this 'movie' concept in the first place. I am truly in awe of your genius!"
Edward, for his part, wasn't remotely flattered. He'd seen far flashier marketing back on Earth—billboards, digital ads, social media campaigns. This stuff? To him, it was just everyday common sense.
But to people in this world? Revolutionary.
Thanks to Edward's guidance, Baniel immediately got started on planning a proper campaign. The first step, naturally, was handing out flyers. Time was tight, yes—but tonight's screening was just the beginning. Edward intended for KonoSuba to stay in theaters for months.
So even if they couldn't get the flyers out before tonight, they could still draw crowds in the days ahead.
Thanks to the world's basic printing tech, producing the flyers was easy. Edward helped guide the formatting—after all, he'd received more than his fair share of street flyers in his old life. Whether it was takeaway menus shoved in his mailbox or colorful posters slapped on every other wall, he'd seen them all.
Even just copying those old designs made for decent-looking ads, especially considering that nobody in this world had ever seen something like that before.
Sure, they still looked a little rough by modern standards. But in a place where "flyers" were basically a foreign concept, they were already groundbreaking.
"Should we start handing these out now?" Baniel asked, barely containing his excitement.
Edward shook his head.
"Not yet. Even though we've got them ready, flyers take time to spread. If we want to make tonight's premiere a success, we need something faster, more effective."
"Faster and more effective?" Baniel echoed, clearly confused.
Edward simply smiled. "Tell me, Viscount Baniel—around sunset, where does the biggest crowd in Nosrick City usually gather?"
Baniel hadn't expected Edward to say something like that, but after a brief moment of thought, he quickly replied, "That would be the Central Plaza. There's a fountain and a modest open space—nothing huge—but street performers often gather there in the evenings, and over time it's become a popular place. Most people go there for a walk after dinner."
"And?" Edward prompted.
"Well… there's also the Nosrick Grand Market and the Street of Pleasures. The market tends to draw families with kids, while the Street of Pleasures is more of a hangout for young people. The reason, well... I'm sure you understand, Lord Durin," Baniel said with a suggestive grin.
Edward didn't comment on that and simply nodded. "Then let's target those three locations. We'll set up a display to showcase the movie in the most eye-catching way possible."
"Display? You mean a… sea-leopard?" Baniel tilted his head, confused. "Or is it 'poster' you said?"
Seeing that Baniel didn't get the term, Edward didn't bother explaining further. Instead, he said, "Just have someone scout those three places. Look for flat white walls that are easy to see from a distance—something like that one over there. Oh, and if you can, have someone build a cart with a huge square white cloth hung on it. That'll work even better."
"I-I'll go arrange it right away."
Although Baniel still didn't quite understand what Edward was planning, he had long since accepted that the famed Grand Mage operated on a level of intelligence he couldn't hope to reach. Without another word, he rushed off to make preparations.
Left alone in the plaza, Edward stood quietly, a thoughtful look on his face.
Sure, posters were the first thing that came to mind when he thought about promoting a movie. But just now, as he was talking to Baniel, a new idea had struck him:
Why was he so fixated on doing things the way they were done in his old world?
Yes, Earth had more advanced technology and better infrastructure. But this world had something that Earth didn't—
Magic.
And if you could combine magic with the concept of visual promotion… then you didn't need to stop at static posters. No, what this world could do was jump straight past that and go right into live magical trailers.
"From a world with no posters straight into magical moving ads… only in a world with magic could you skip straight to something like this. Guess I'll need a proper trailer after all."
He pulled out one of the backup memory crystals he'd made for sample purposes. Holding it in his palm, Edward began carefully editing the footage stored inside.
By now, he had become fairly familiar with how these crystals worked. One of their hidden features allowed for rudimentary editing—by realigning the magical energy flow within the crystal, you could effectively "cut" or "splice" clips.
The final result wasn't perfect, but it was good enough.
The trailer he created contained a quick-cut montage of the movie's standout moments: the main character and the goddess being forcibly sent to another world, their first party members, the explosive magic scene, and the appearance of the Headless Knight.
The footage didn't explain much. If anything, it raised more questions than answers. But for someone seeing it for the first time, it would look exciting, even epic. That's what mattered.
Satisfied with the visuals, Edward then recorded a voiceover for the trailer, announcing that KonoSuba would be premiering tonight at the Nosrick Grand Theater. Anyone interested could head there for more information.
With the work done, he put the crystal away and waited for Baniel's return.
It didn't take long.
Baniel soon rushed back, practically glowing with excitement. From the look on his face, it was obvious that the scouting had been a success.